Old Carbon Today

Visits to Carbon, Carbon County, Wyoming Aka, Carbon City or Old Carbon
A Ghost Town

2000-2021: So, what does Old Carbon look like now? Bob Leathers and Gary Beaver visited the Old Carbon town site and cemetery to collect information for the Hanna Basin Museum Website.

We were interested in knowing why the people came to Carbon and why they stayed in the coal camp even after experiencing what we thought were low wages and harsh living conditions. We discovered that in many cases, the folks thought themselves much better off in Carbon than where they originally came from.

The following are links, images and notes of what we found and experienced over the years. (Bob Leathers)

Carbon Plant Life - Flowers and Weeds

Carbon Cemetery Clean Up and Restoration

The Old Carbon Cemetery Outhouse

Ghost Town of Carbon, 2018 (Image by Bob Leathers)

The Carbon Coal Camp is located in the wide open prairie. No trees for miles and miles around. Living conditions seemed to be harsh and unforgiving. Plenty of wildfire fill the area with sage chickens, antelope, deer and even a few elk. Yes, we even found a few rattlesnakes.

Carbon. Town Markers. (Gert Milliken Collection from Gary Milliken) (Hanna Basin Museum Website)

Over time, we discover Carbon was not about its looks or location. It was about the people - the immigrants - who lived there.

Carbon State Bank. Organized Dec. 9th, 1881. Located on the South West corner of the Union Pacific Store (Image by Bob Leathers - Hanna Basin Museum Website)

Folks with a connections to Carbon tried to preserve the history. Richard Fisher was one of those people. He loved Carbon and it showed. He and a few people like him were responsible for placing location signs around the town.

Rock foundation for the Union Pacific Company Store. (Image by Bob Leathers)

The many rock foundations are impressive - even today. Most of the wood used on the buildings has rotted away or hauled away. Much of it was also burned in campfires built by hunters. The town site was a favorite hunting and camping spot after the closing of the town.